Improvement in railroad-car couplings



2 Sheets-Sheet I. W. T. SPIES.

Car Coupling.

No. 35,333. Patented May 20, I862.

Witnesses: mar: W M QM M W 'AM. PHDTO'LITHILCO. NELWSBORNES NNBESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM T. SPIES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-CAR COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,333, dated May 20, 1862.

To all-whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM '1. SPIES, of the city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Machine for Coupling Railroad-Cars, which I denominatc a Self-Coupling Buffer for Railroad-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a clear and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of a buffer for railroad-cars, in which I employ a movable block, of iron or other suitable material, which is inserted in the opening of the buiter for the couplingbolt to rest on before dropping into its place, the said block having a notch on its face to hold the coupling-link in position to enter the opposite butter, and being furnished with a handle, which projects upward through an opening, and is used for moving the block forward and backward. The seatof the buffer on the inside is made slightly convex, so that the connecting-link may be adjusted to enter the opening of the opposite buffer, and the link is so wrought as to be concave on the one edge and convex on the other, so as to admit of being raised or lowered to meet the opposing buffer.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the buffer with the connecting-link in its place.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the line 1 2 of Fig. 1. A represents the convexity of the seat of the butter on the inside. B is the movable block with its notch or. and handle b, the red lines indicating the block when moved forward. The openings 0 c are for the insertion of the handle. 0 is the connectingbolt, the red one resting on the movable block, the other seated in its place. D represents the connecting-link.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the connecting-link.

Fig. i is a side view of the connecting-link, showing its convexity on one edge and concavity on the other.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the sliding block with its handle Z), showing the notch a for the connecting-link to rest in.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The buffer may be made of any suitable form; but th at which is presented in the drawings is considered by me to be the most convenient for the purpose intended.

- The buffer is made of cast-iron, with an opening or trap for the movable block with its handle, and for the admission of the connecting-link and the bolt by which it is held. The seat of the buffer in the opening is made with a convexity. The movable block may be made of cast or wrought iron, or any suitable metal, and is set in the opening or trap of the buffer and has a handle or pin. attached to it, by means of which the block is operated and moved forward or backward. This block is notched on its face, as shown in the drawings, so as to admit the end of the connectinglink to be held in position for entering the opening in the buffer of the opposite car. The connectinglink is of wrought-iron or other suitable metal, and is made convex on one edge and concave on the other, so as to adapt it to the position of the buffer of the car to be connected.

When cars are to be connected, the connecting-link is fixed in its place in the buffer of one car, and so adjusted by means of the form of the connecting-link and the convex seat of the buffer and the notch of the movable blockthat it will enter the opening of the opposite buffer on its approach to it. The movable block of the other butter is set forward, so as to hold up the connecting-bolt, and when the link enters it moves the block back and allows the bolt to drop in its place, and the cars are thus self-connected without the aid of a laborer, and consequently without any risk to life or limb.

IVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination and arrangement of the movable block with its notch for holding and regulating the coupling-link, with the concave and convex form of the coupling-link, and the convex form of the inside seat of the buffer, in the manner described, and for the purpose of forming a self-coupling buffer for the connection of railroad-cars.

NM. T. SPIES.

Witnesses:

JEssE L. C. BERRY, JOHN M. DEMPsEY. 

